Only individuals with a colonial mindset would endorse Ghana's lithium deal - Sam Ankrah

Dr. Sam Ankrah, a Development Economist has stated that only individuals with a colonial mindset would endorse the lithium mining agreement between the Government of Ghana and Baran DV Ghana Limited.

He argued that the agreement should be entirely held by the State in order to maximise the benefits for the citizens of the country, rather than the government only owning a small share of the multi-billion dollar contract.

Dr. Ankrah speaking with journalists expressed his position that the arrangement is not acceptable in the modern era adding that he believes it demonstrates signs of corruption and lack of patriotism on the part of the negotiators, and should not be supported by any discerning Ghanaian.

In October 2023, the Ghanaian Government entered into a contract with Barari DV Ghana Limited to extract lithium from the Ewoyaa area in the Central Region.

Upon the signing of the transaction, he recommended to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that he should adopt the leadership approach of former president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who made sure that local agencies had authority over all mining concessions.

"Ghanaians have been unable to reap the benefits of the country's abundant mineral resources for several years due to poor governance. “The 2023 Lithium mining agreement bears no fundamental distinction in substance from Ghana's previous colonial-era agreements, often referred to as the Guggisberg model. Regardless of the terminology used, all these agreements share a colonial nature and have historically provided minimal benefits to the average Ghanaian," Dr Ankrah explained.

He emphasised the necessity for President Akufo-Addo to prioritise the welfare of the Ghanaian people by promptly cancelling the agreement and advised the Lands Minister [Samuel Abu Jinapor] to refrain from deceiving Ghanaians by making comparisons to deals inked by Liberia, Zimbabwe, and other countries.

"Instead, he suggests adopting a more forward-thinking approach and mentioning countries such as Mexico, Bolivia, Chile, Namibia, and Nigeria, which have complete ownership of the same resources," he pointed.

Relatively, Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo asserts that the Lithium Mining Agreement, entered into by the Government of Ghana and Barari DV Ghana Limited, will not provide advantageous outcomes for the Ghanaian population.

She asserts that the deal is fundamentally similar to prior ones that the country has entered into.

The ex-Chief Justice emphasised the necessity for the government to possess exclusive control of mining resources in order to guarantee that citizens reap its benefits.